First and foremost, I know that you, as parents of little ones, are the busiest humans on the planet. So my goal is to incorporate speech and language activities into your everyday routine and make things quick, simple, and natural. These suggested activities are simply a starting point and are meant to be interchangeable. If an activity feels good, try it. If it feels awkward or tricky, skip it!

Here you are, living with a tiny human, trying to equip him or her with all of the tools necessary to one day be a functional large human. Toddler life is tricky! When your little one is not using words yet to communicate, it makes your day-to-day even trickier. Let me tell you first and foremost—you know your child best. You are probably anticipating all of your toddler’s wants and needs already. You know what the cranky face, shrugged shoulders, and/or ants in the pants behavior means at all times.

When you have a child with Down Syndrome, you become very familiar with Early Intervention, Physical Therapy, Occupational therapy, and for some the most important, Speech Therapy. I came across Molly from the Speech Teacher on social media and being that I am still learning so much about how to help my son reach his full potential, I asked her to share some sage advice with us all.

Reading to your little one is not always going to be as picture perfect as it seems. Sometimes our little ones do not want to sit, sometimes they want to hold the book themselves, sometimes they only want to turn the pages, etc. It is okay to get creative and use helping tools!

Feeding your baby successfully is one of the best feelings in the world! Knowing that you are providing your little one with a full tummy fills you with equal parts relief and pride. I chose those two feelings specifically because there is a common misbelief that eating is instinctive and easy. However, eating is only instinctive in the first month of life. By 6 months of age, eating has become a learned behavior. Additionally, eating is hard! It requires all of our senses, muscles that span half of our bodies, and multiple organs. If you are having a hard time feeding your baby, you are not alone—25% of our little ones demonstrate feeding difficulties. These issues could be sensory, anatomical, or behavioral in nature. Great news is—we can make mealtime less stressful and more enjoyable for children & parents!

Drooling is a part of the little one’s world. We see and feel a lot of wet bibs and t-shirts, particularly during the teething phase! However, sometimes children drool too much and/or too often. If your tiny friend is excessively drooling, it’s time to check in on this behavior. It is always best to visit with the ENT first so that they can use their magic to assess all of the physical structures properly. I am also going to share my favorite tips & tricks for our drooly loves!

Halloween is a holiday that comes with a pretty consistent protocol: you get dressed up, you walk door to door, you say a funny phrase, and you get some candy. However, this script doesn’t fit the needs of all of our little ones and that is okay! You, as the parent, can flip the script to meet your child’s needs in an easy and comfortable way.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because my family is all about staying in pajamas, snuggling, and eating the day away. On the spectrum of holidays, it tends to be low-key with limited expectations. However, for our little ones any break in the routine can lead to some new and not-so-fun behaviors. Let’s set ourselves up for a mindful holiday with these quick and easy tips.

If you live with a tiny friend who is having a hard time communicating – I am here to help! The following are some quick tips for parents who want to boost their little ones’ speech and language skills right at home. You can find these tips and much more in my new parent guide: The Speech Teacher’s Handbook. It is designed to provide you with fun and functional ideas that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

I am happy to share some alternative methods of communication for our late talkers and our children who are not able to verbally communicate. There are many other ways for kids to successfully communicate! Using alternative means of communication is essential for our tiny friends. A communication system will allow your child to feel more closely connected to others, better engage with academic materials, and improve non-preferred behaviors.

Whether you’re a parent with a child with autism or hosting a family with one. The holidays can be a chaotic time for anyone. For kids with autism and sensory issues, the bright lights, loud music, and overall hustle and bustle can be even more overwhelming.

You know the crazy people who are running though the airport with a kid or two attached at their heels? Stuff is falling all over the place and they are a hot, sweaty mess before they even make it to the gate? They are so nutty, right? (Oh, wait, that was me.) Truth is, traveling at the holidays is hard enough without adding a kid or two to the mix. But experts say there are some nifty airport hacks for traveling with kids that can help me — err, you — better navigate the friendly skies.